Learn the basics of visual storytelling! By learning the basic language of the comics medium and traditional cartooning tools of pen and ink, students will create short comics that will be collected and published into zine anthologies at the end of the week.

Note: The YA classes are half day and split with another 3-D medium, so if you sign up for Session 1, you’ll spend half the day with me making comics and the other half working with metals. In Session 2, the 3-D class I’m combined with is Fibers.

For more detailed information and enrollment options, please visit the OCAC website.

So we’re trying something different this July in regards to pre-college. We’re running a month long residency program where you will live on campus [or commute in every day if you live in Portland] and do work in comics/graphic novels, metals, photography, fibers, and painting. We’re also going to be doing lots of visits to art museums, local art events, studio visits, and day trips to local venues like the Oregon Coast and the Timberline Lodge. You’ll get a full on art college experience – as well as 3 college credits – and plenty of one-on-one time with instructors and mentors.

It’s going to be intense, it’s going to be fun, and it’s going to be a month long of non-stop art making and fun!

For more detailed information and enrollment options, please visit the OCAC website.

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In August I will be running my regular week-long Pre-College comics classes. We have the core Crafting Comics, but a different line-up from last year for advanced classes, so check them out!

This introductory course will cover the basic fundamentals of crafting comics. Students will learn to use a variety of tools to combine concept, drawing, design, typography, and basic storytelling tools to craft a cohesive visual narrative. The class will culminate with the creation of a 2-4 page story by each student that will be combined and published in a class anthology.

If students have previously taken Crafting Comics at OCAC and would like to enroll in the class again this year, the instructor can work individually with the student to create an advanced project or independent study to help them hone a particular aspect of comics.

This course will help students develop and strengthen their characters and the worlds that hey inhabit. Examples from comics, video games, film, and television will be included in the lectures. Through exercises and projects that involve research, observational drawing, and idea generation, students will learn how to create solid foundations for their characters and worlds, no matter what type of work they plan to place them in. Students will publish a mini-portfolio of their work at the end of the class.

For more detailed information and enrollment options, please visit the OCAC website.

This class is for students who have experience creating comics and are interested in creating longer, graphic novel sized work. Students will explore different techniques and approaches to developing longer stories and tackling the different problems that arise when creating longer format work. Focus will be on the creative process including writing, thumbnailing, pacing, character and story development, as well as the editing process. Students will publish proposal packets of their work at the end of the class.

Pre-requisite: OCAC’s Crafting Comics class or previous experience making comics is not required, but is highly recommended.

For more detailed information and enrollment options, please visit the OCAC website.